One of the most widely used techniques for the nondestructive testing and inspection of tubular members, such as steel pipe, involves the use of sonic beams of ultrasonic frequencies. Typically, the apparatus employed in such techniques includes a piezoelectric crystal or crystals, each of which produces ultrasonic vibrations in response to the application of a voltage. When inspecting a tubular member or pipe for internal flaws, such techniques predominantly rely on the method wherein a crystal is maintained in a position relative to the pipe surface to transmit a short duration sonic wave pulse of beamed energy into the wall of the pipe at an angle such that a flaw or discontinuity in the pipe will cause the waves to be reflected back and produce a voltage response in the crystal. The crystal is de-energized immediately following the pulsed emission of a sonic wave so that reflected waves can be received during the de-energized periods to produce a corresponding electrical signal which may be analyzed for determining the nature and location of flaws. U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,782 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,277 each disclose an ultrasonic inspection device for inspecting pipe which employs a first pair of transducers for transmitting sonic beams longitudinally into the pipe wall to detect defects which extend transversely of the pipe and a second pair of transducers for transmitting sonic beams into the pipe wall in the transverse direction in order to detect defects which extend in the longitudinal direction of the pipe. Two additional pairs of transducers are provided for transmitting sonic beams through the pipe wall obliquely with respect to its axis so as to detect flaws which extend at an angle intermediate the longitudinal and transverse. The transducers in each pair transmit their sonic beams in opposite directions, so that flaws which are canted in the direction of sonic beam travel from one of the pair of transducers and likely to weakly reflect the beam or be substantially invisible thereto, will provide a strong reflection of the other transducer's sonic beam traveling thereto from the opposite direction. It is also the usual practice that the pipe is scanned by rotating it about its longitudinal axis while simultaneously moving the pipe in its lengthwise direction past the array of transducers or by moving the transducers in carriages along the length of the pipe as the pipe is rotated.